Busch & Mueller "Big Bang"---the ultimate bike light?

[Bill Baka]

Chalo wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> Did you design the electronics and lay out a PCB?
>
> Nope. For controlled-current drive electronics, it's easier and
> cheaper-- and much more compact-- to use something like this:
> http://ledsupply.com/02009-sho.php (for 3V source)
>
> Or this:
> http://ledsupply.com/02012-d-350.php (for 12V source)

Cool site. I might not have even known about it but it looks like
somebody took the work out of my do it yourself project. Now I have one
more bookmark.
>
>> You sound like a budding engineer.
>
> I'm a machinist and prototypist by trade. I just left a private space
> program that I helped to start up in 2001.

Many "good" machinists are good at other stuff too. A good friend of
mine is a maintenance mechanic and is into electronics on the side.
>
>> Lithium is too expensive
>
> I've bought several 2400mAH lithium cell phone batteries for $5 to $6
> including shipping. As long as they keep letting cell phones go out
> of production, there will be a steady source of cheap lithiums and
> chargers in useful sizes for LED bike lights.

That may be due to the cell phone phenomena, but can work out for a
small bicycle, too. My Cateye may get Lithiumed.
Thanks, Chalo, that is good input.
Bill Baka
>
> Chalo
>

 

[Prisoner at War]

On Jan 31, 3:40 pm, Pat Lamb <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 10:59:05 -0500, Gooserider wrote:
> >http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/bigbang.asp
>
> > Wow. Looks very impressive. Ridiculously pricy, though. A grand for a bike
> > light? Still, impressive technology.
>
> Thinking about this on the way home last night; OK, your normal HID light
> seems to run around $500. Is the precision optics for this really worth
> another $500?
>
> Pat




Yeah, I was wondering about that...the optics make it so that, what,
oncoming traffic isn't blinded? Better peripheral vision??

For $500 more than an Arc Ultra HID, it only lasts 4.5 hrs., too!
Still, I applaud all development in this area...I'm surprised it's
taken this long!

 

[Will]

On Feb 6, 6:15 pm, "Chalo" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I composed a long and comprehensive reply to your question, but Google
> Groups seems to have blackholed it. So here are some useful links for
> your information;

Thanks. Lots of info in the links. Perhaps your blackholed reply will
show up eventually. I've got a NiteRider HID that I like quite a bit.
The bulb replacement is annoys the wallet though. I recently installed
a couple of B&M bottles and Dymotecs on my kid's bikes and was really
impressed with the setup. Now I want to build something...

 

[Pat Lamb]

Prisoner at War wrote:
> On Jan 31, 3:40 pm, Pat Lamb <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 10:59:05 -0500, Gooserider wrote:
>>> http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/bigbang.asp
>>> Wow. Looks very impressive. Ridiculously pricy, though. A grand for a bike
>>> light? Still, impressive technology.
>> Thinking about this on the way home last night; OK, your normal HID light
>> seems to run around $500. Is the precision optics for this really worth
>> another $500?
>
> Yeah, I was wondering about that...the optics make it so that, what,
> oncoming traffic isn't blinded? Better peripheral vision??

That's what I was thinking. For $500, if I needed that bright a light
to begin with, I'd tilt the "cheap" one down.

> For $500 more than an Arc Ultra HID, it only lasts 4.5 hrs., too!
> Still, I applaud all development in this area...I'm surprised it's
> taken this long!

I guess you only need two batteries to get you through an audax night...

Pat